Belt buckle



April 16, 1940. BUCHSBAUM 2,197,655

BELT BUCKLE Filed Nov. 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. BUCHSBAUM BELT BUCKLE 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1938 @0922??? fiZrZerZ Jae/i Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES TENT ri-E 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to belt buckles, and particularly to belt buckles wherein the belt is gripped by'friction, or, in other words, by pinching a portion of the belt between a pressure 6 plate and a movable element which is attached to the pressure plate.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction and which may be attached to one end of the belt and used to grip the other end of the belt, regardless of which direction the belt is passed through the buckle.

The present invention contemplates a buckle body which consists of a face plate, or pressure plate, having side portions to which a belt attaching member is pivoted. The buckle body and the belt attaching member are provided with cooperating pins and slots which pivotally connect them together for swinging movement about two different axes, depending upon the direction in which the belt attaching member swings from a position perpendicular to the buckle body. If the buckle attaching member is swung in a clockwise direction, for example, against a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate of the buckle body, it will turn about the farther one of the pivotal connections and move toward the pressure plate to hold the inserted belt against withdrawal in one direction. If, on the other hand, the belt attaching member is swung in a counter-clockwise direction, it will swing about the other pivotal connection and hold the inserted belt against withdrawal in the other direction. It is therefore possible to utilize this construction for buckles where it is desired to reverse the belt to either one or the other sides thereof. In the present trend of matching belts with the other clothing, belts have been developed which are of entirely different appearance on the opposite sides. With this buckle construction, such belts may now be made without apertures for belt tongues and hold just as securely as non-reversible belts have been held by gripping types of buckle.

The present invention also contemplates an improved buckle construction wherein the entire buckle is made up of two metal plates, one of which constitutes a pressure plate and pivotal mounting for the other, andthe other of which constitutes a belt attaching member with integral gripping projections oppositely disposed so as to hold a belt inserted in either direction between the belt attaching member and the pressure plate.

The featiu'es and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings and description are illustra- 5 tive only, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a belt and buckle em- 10 bodying the invention, the view being taken from the back of the buckle;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of 16 Fig. 1, showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view like Fig. 2, showing the belt released;

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view, showing the belt attaching member moved partially toward 20 the belt clamping position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the belt attaching member, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing one of the side flanges of the buckle body.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the present invention is embodiecl'in a belt buckle, the body portion to of which comprises a metal 30 plate having two side flanges H and i2 and a front portion it which acts as a pressure plate. The side flanges H and 32 are provided with means It and It for pivotal connection to a belt attaching member it. It will be noted that the 35 means for pivotal connection comprises two pins I l and It struck inwardly from the material of each side flange H and l2. e

The belt attaching member it comprises a strip of metal having two spaced substantially 40 parallel sides I? and I8 (see Fig. 7). These sides are attached to receive a belt l9 between them. The side it has tongues 20 struck inwardly to extend through the belt 59. The side ll is provided with apertures 2! to receive the tongue 20. 5 The two sides H and ill of the member iii are spread apart slightly beyond the end of the belt I9, as indicated at 22 and 23. They are joined by an integral portion 24 which extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the sides [1 50 and i8. At the junction of the portion 24 with the side 18 a wavy slot 25 extends most of the length of the portion 24. Gripping projections 26 and 27 are thus formed on the portion 24. These gripping projections are curved, as shown 55 most clearly in Figs. 3 and '7, to extend toward the side l8 of the member l6. A similar slot 28 is provided at the junction of the portion 24 with the side ll. Gripping projections 29 and 3B are thus formed directly opposite the projections 26 and 21.

For pivotal connection to the pins M and 15 of the side plates H and I 2 the member I6 has two integral end portions 3| and 32. Each end portion comprises an extension of the portion 24 turned at right angles thereto, so as to extend along the edges of the sides IT and I8. These edges are cut away, as shown at 33 and 34, so that the portions 3! and 32 do not stick out beyond the end edges of the sides I! and it. Each of the portions 3! and 32 has a slot 35 cut therein. This slot 35 has two spaced pin seating portions 35 and 31 which are separated by a protruding tongue 38, and the slot extends away from the portions 35 and 37 a distance suificient to provide clearance for either pin when the member H3 is turning about the other pin. The slot 35 is so shaped that side walls 39 and 48 act as limiting stops to engage corresponding pins It or it in the manner shown, for example, in Fig. 2. The pin seating portions 36 and 3'! lie between the opposed gripping projections. As shown, the gripping projections 26, 21, 29 and 30 project toward the attached belt far enough to be in line with pin receiving portions 36 and 31. Therefore, in gripping a belt, the projections swing toward the pressure plate until the belt attaching member I6 is substantially parallel with the pressure plate.

From the foregoing description, it is believed to be evident that I have provided a very simple and ei'licient reversible belt buckle whereby a belt may be gripped firmly and held against withdrawal, regardless of the direction in which it passes through the buckle. It is, of course, a simple matter to release the buckle when the pressure or pull in two opposite directions on the belt is relieved. The release is accomplished by moving the member IE relative to the pressure plate, so as to bring it toward a perpendicular position, as shown in Fig. 4. Owing to the fact that the moving parts of the buckle are limited to two pieces, and the fact that both sides of the member K5 are utilized, it is possible to make a very thin, compact construction of the belt buckle and at the same time obtain adequate strength. Whether the buckle is used singly or as a reversible buckle, it is very economical to manufacture and quite compact.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A belt buckle comprising a body member having a pressure plate portion and spaced side portions, a belt attaching member, means pivotally connecting the belt attaching member to the side portions, said connecting means including two pivots, one for relative swinging movement between the belt attaching member and the body member in one direction from a perpendicular relation, and the other for swinging movement between the two members in the opposite direction.

2. A reversible buckle comprising a belt attaching member, a pressure plate member, means to secure one end of a belt to said belt attaching member, two gripping portions on said belt attaching member one on each side thereof, one of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from one direction, and the other of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and. the pressure plate from the other direction, and means pivotally connecting said members.

3. A reversible buckle comprising a belt attaching member, a pressure plate member, means to secure one end of a belt to said belt attaching member, two gripping portions on said belt attaching member one on each side thereof, one of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from one direction, and the other of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from the other direction, and means pivotally connecting said members, said means comprising two pivotal connections between said members, said pivotal connections being spaced apart longitudinally of the pressure plate member.

4. A reversible buckle comprising a belt attaching member, a pressure plate member, means to secure one end of a belt to said belt attaching member, two gripping portions on said belt attaching member one on each side thereof. one of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from one direction, and the other of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from the other direction, and means pivotally connecting said members, said means comprising two pivotal connections between said members, said pivotal connections being spaced transversely of the belt attaching member.

5. A reversible buckle comprising a belt attaching member, a pressure plate member, means to secure one end of a belt to said belt attaching member, two gripping portions on said belt attaching member one on each side thereof, one of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from one direc tion, and the other of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from the other direction, means pivotally connecting said members, said pivotal connection comprising two spaced pivot pins at each side edge of one of said members, and seating portions for said pins in each of the side edges of the other member.

6. A reversible buckle comprising a belt attaching member, a pressure plate member, means to secure one end of a belt to said belt attaching member, two gripping portions on said belt attaching member one on each side thereof, one of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from one direction, and the other of which is adapted to hold a belt inserted between it and the pressure plate from the other direction, means pivotally connecting said members, said pivotal connection comprising two spaced pivot pins at each side edge of one of said members, and seating portions for said pins in each of the side edges of the other member, each pair of seating portions connected by a continuous slot in which one pin can travel while its companion pin is rotating in its seat.

'7. A belt buckle comprising a pressure plate, flanges at two opposite side edges of said plate, a belt attaching member, oppositely directed gripping projections on said belt attaching member, end portions on said belt attaching member fitting inside the flanges of said plate and two pins and pin seating portions connecting each flange with its corresponding end portion.

HERBERT BUCHSBAUM. 

